Panic latch mechanism



Oct. 28, 1958 H A, EICHACKER 2,858,157

'PANIC LATCH MECHANISM INVENTOR. Ha/:EK A-E/CHACKEK BWM ATT-ORNE Y.

H. A. EICHACKER PANIC LATCH MECHANISM Oct. 28, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. i4, 1955 INVENTOR.

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Oct. 28, 1958 l H. A. ElcHAcKr-:R 2,858,157

PANIC LATCH MECHANISM Filed Feb. i4, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 73 INVENTOR.

Home-1a A. EcHA onen BY: LQ/Leid @MM/l- ATTORNEY United States Patent Oiice V2,858,157 Patented Oct. 28, 1958 PANIC LATCH MECHANISM Homer A. Eichacker, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to The Vonnegut Hardware Company, Indianapolis, Intl., a corporation of Indiana Application February 14, 1955, Serial No. 487,747

15 Claims. (Cl. 292-92) The present invention relates to an improved panic latch mechanism, and is particularly concerned with the provision of a latch mechanism housed in a casing which is symmetrical on opposite sides of a median transverse plane, so that the casing, by end-to-end reversal, may be mounted on either a left-hand door or a right-hand door, parts of the latch mechanism being similarly symmetrical on opposite sides of the indicated plane, and other parts being assembled in a sandwic for reversibly selective mounting in the casing.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a latch mechanism of the general character suggested above, so proportioned and designed that, through the reversibly selective mounting of the sandwich in the casing, the entire mechanism may be arranged for selective association with either a left-hand door or a right hand door.

A further object of the invention is to provide a subassembly 4for a latch mechanism including a latch retractor, such sub-assembly including a supplemental actuating means for the latch retractor, proportioned and designed to provide an actuating train between a manipulating member and the retractor, regardless of the position in which the entire mechanism is arranged on a door.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

'latchmechanism embodying my invention, mounted on a door in an assembly including an external thumb piece and a key actuated lock for blocking the thumb piece, parts of the casing being broken away for clarity of illustration;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental elevation of the latch mech- Aanism of Fig. 1, viewed from the open side of the casing;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the sub-assembly, one of the identical plates forming the sandwich being removed;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental perspective view of the latch mechanism with the sandwich removed;

Fig. 5 is a fragmental illustration of the latch bolt mounting, drawn to an enlarged scale;

Fig. 6 is a fragmental, enlarged perspective view showing a preferred pivotal mounting for a panic bar rocker arm;

Fig. 7` is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a moditied subassembly and blocker actuating means;

Fig.` 8 is a` fragmental perspective view of the subassembly of Fig. 7, one plate having been removed;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a further 2 modified form of sub-assembly with the latch bolt substantially fully retracted; and

Fig. l0 is a View similar to Fig. 9 but showing the parts in reversed association and the latch bolt substantially fully projected.

Referring more particularly to the form of invention illustrated in Figs. l to 6, it will be seen that I have illustrated a door 19 with which the panic latch mechanism of the present invention, indicated generally at 20, is associated. Such mechanism comprises a casing 2l including a front wall 22 (see Fig. 4), side walls 23 and 24 and end walls (not shown) defining a cavity with an open face, the parts being so constructed and arranged that the side walls and end walls terminate in a common plane adapted to coincide with the inner surface of the door 19, conventional means being provided for securing the casing 21 to such door surface.

Midway between its ends, the side wall 23 is formed with an opening 25, which is symmetrical with respect to the median transverse plane -of the casing; and it is to be understood that the entire casing is likewise symmetrica] on opposite sides of said plane.

rlhe inner surface of the wall 22 is suitably formed to define a depression or socket 26 (Fig. 5) adjacent and parallel with the inner end of the opening 25; and said socket receives a journal pin 27 which is secured in place by a pair of screws 28 threaded into suitable sockets in the wall 22 with their heads overlying the pin 27 adjacent the opposite ends thereof.

A latch bolt 29 has its inner end 30 oscillably supported upon the pin 27 in such a position that the distal end of said bolt is projectible and retractable through the opening 25. Said bolt is formed to provide a socket 3l opening through its inner face; and a bar 32 traverses said socket adjacent the outer end thereof for a purpose which will later become apparent.

A retractor mechanism, indicated generally by the reference numeral 33, is loosely received in the casing. The mechanism 33 comprises a bar 34, which is symmetrical with respect to the above-mentioned plane, and parallel legs 35 and 36 which are respectively slidably mounted on a pair of parallel pins 37 and 38, formed with terminal heads 39 and 40 which bear against the inner surface of the Wall 24. Coiled springs 41 and 42 are sleeved on the respective pins 37 and 38 and are conlined between the heads 39 and 40 and the adjacent ends of the legs 35 and 36, whereby the slide comprising the bar 34 and the legs 35 and 36 is resiliently urged toward the wall 23.

Midway between the walls 23 and 24, the wall 22 is formed with a longitudinally-extending opening 43 which is symmetrical with respect to the above-mentioned plane. On its outer surface, the wall 22 is formed to provide a pair of ears 44, 44, equally spaced from the walls 23 and 24, respectively, and said ears are pierced by perforations 45, whose common axis is disposed in the above-mentioned median plane. A trunnion element 46 is supported in the perforations 45 and pivotally sup-` ports a rocker arm 47, whose free end (not shown) supports one end of a conventional panic har, and which carries a linger 4S entering the casing through theopening 43.

Closely adjacent the opening 437 the wall 22 supports an axle 49, whose axis is disposed in said. median plane, and which projects into thecasing 21 toward the open face thereof. A lever 5l) is oscillably supported upon said axle 49, and said lever carries at its distal end a foot 51 which projects equally and oppiositely from a radius of the axle 49 to terminate in toes 52 and 53. With the parts associated in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4, the vfinger 48 operatively engages the toe 53, and the toe 52 is arranged in operative association with an abutment 54 carried on the leg 35 of the slide of the retractor mechanism 33. The leg 36 of said slide is provided with a similar abutment 55 for a purpose which will later become apparent.

Said slide is formed with a nose 56 which, when the parts 'are assembled, projects into the cavity 31 of the latch bolt 29; and said nose is formed with a transverse groove 57 opening toward the distal end of the latch bolt and operatively receiving the bar 32 to provide a drive connection between said slide and said latch bolt.

The leg 35 of said slide is formed with a post .58, and the leg 36 is formed with asimilar post 59, said posts projecting toward the open face of the casing.

A supplemental actuator mechanism is indicated generally by the reference numeral 64D, and comprises a pair of identical plates 61 and 62. The plate 62 is illustrated in detail in Fig. 3; and it will be seen that said plate is formed with a perforation 63 having a laterallyextending enlargement 64 which accommodates the post 58 when the sub-assembly is mounted in the casing. Said plate is further formed with a laterally elongated perforation 65 parallel with the enlargement 64 and accommodating the post 59. The plate is further formed with a notch 66 opening through one edge thereof to accommodate the latch bolt 29.

As shown, the casing 21 is formed with a plurality of studs provided with tapped sockets 67; and the plate 62 is formed with a corresponding number of perforations 68 adapted to coincide with the sockets 67, whereby the assembly 61 may be secured in place in the casing 21.

A slide 69 is received and guided between the plates 61 and 62, said slide being formed to provide an abutment surface 70 which, when the assembly 60 is mounted in the casing, is coactively associated with one end or the other of the shoe 51. As shown in Fig. 2, said surface 70 is thus associated with the toe 53. The opposite end surface 71 of the slide 69 is arranged for engagement by a thumb piece lever as will appear herebelow; and, in order that said slide may be guided in its movement, the lower end of said slide is preferably formed with a tab 72 which is snugly received in a slot '73 in the plate 62. Preferably, the opposite end of the slide is formed With a similar tab 74 snugly received in a suitablycontoured portion of the perforation 63.

The slide is formed to provide a further, upwardlyfacing surface 75 for a purpose which will appear.

The plate 62 carries a trunnion '76 whose axis, when the sub-assembly is mounted in the casing, lies in the above-named median plane; and a lever 77 is oscillably mounted upon said trunnion. One end 78 of said lever is so located that, when the slide 69 is in its lowermost position, said lever end 78 may be shifted into and out of blocking association with the surface 75 of the slide 69 to prevent upward movement of said slide. The other end 79 of said 'lever is formed with a downwardly opening notch 80 in which is coactively received a inger 83 carried on an element 81 oscillably supported nearthe upper end of the plate 62 and formed with a socket 82. A lock 84 of conventional construction is mounted in the door 19 to be accessible from the outer side of door, and its movable barrel carries a bar 85 which may be coactively received in the socket 82 so that the linger 83 may be shifted, from outside the door, to shift the lever 77 between its position illustrated in Fig. 3 and its solid line position of Fig. 2.

A lever 86 penetrates the door 19 and carries a thumb piece 87 accessible from outside the door. The opposite end 88 of the lever 86 underlies the tab 72 of the slide 62 so that, when the thumb piece 87 is depressed, the end 88 of the lever 86 will lift the slide 69. Since the surface 70 of the slide is disposed in engagement with the toe v53 of the lever 50, such upward movement of the slide will shift the shoe 51 from its dotted line position of Fig. 2 to its solid line position in that gure. The

- 4 lever is so positioned that, as it moves from its dotted line position to its solid line position, the toe 53 will traverse the above-named median plane. Ideally, the path of the toe 53 will be bisected by said plane, so that the lateral movement of the toe 53 relative to the slide surface 70 will be a minimum.

As the shoe 51 moves from its dotted line position to its solid line position, the toe 52 will engage the abutment 54 to shift the retractor slide toward the right as viewed in Figs. 2 and 4 to retract the bolt 29. When the thumb piece '87 is released, the springs 41 and 42 will return the slide and the bolt to project the bolt.

Obviously, if the lock 84 is actuated to swing the lever 83 to its dotted line position of Fig. 2, the lever 77 will thereby be swung to its dotted line position to block actuation of the slide 69.

Regardless of the position of the lever 77, the retractor slide may be actuated by the linger 48 of the panic bar mechanism. Thus, as the rocker 47 is swung in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 6, the nger 48 will be elevated; and, since said finger is disposed in cooperative association with the toe 53 of the shoe 51, said shoe will be swung to its solid line position of Fig. 2 to retract the slide of the retractor mechanism.

It will be seen that the mechanism 20 is associated with the right-hand edge of the door 19, as viewed from the left of Fig. l.

If it should be desired to associated that mechanism with the left-hand edge of a door, the sub-assembly will be removed from the casing 21, the casing 21 will be turned end for end, the sub-assembly 60 will be reversed, being turned about a vertical axis, and the sub-assembly will then be reinstalled in the casing. Likewise, the rocker 47 and its linger 48 will be reassembled with the inverted casing. Now, of course, the finger 48 and the surface of the slide 69 will be disposed in coactive association with the toe 52 of the shoe 51, while the toe 53 thereof will be arranged for coaction with the abutment 55 on the leg 36 of the retractor slide. The element 81 will still be arranged to receive the bar 85 near the upper end of the mechanism, and the tab 72 will still be positioned for coactive engagement by the end 88 of the lever 86 near the lower end of the mechanism.

In Figs. 7 and 8, I have shown a modified sub-assembly in which a lever 89, having an arm 90 arranged for coaction with the surface of the slide 69, has its opposite arm 91 arranged for actuation by a linger 92 carried by the rotatable barrel 93 of a lock 94 carried in the casing 21 and accessible only from inside the door 19. In this form of the invention, yof course, the casing 21' will be perforated adjacent each end, and the lock 94 will be selectively received in either perforation, a dummy closure (not shown) being provided for the other perforation.

The operation of this form of the invention will be identical with that of the form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, except for the mode of actuation of the blocker lever 89.

In Fig. 9, I have shown a further form of sub-assembly in which the actuation of the mechanism by the panic bar is identical with that above-described, but in which the supplemental actuation will be by means of a key instead of a thumb piece. In this form of the invention, a supplemental actuating lever 95 is iXed to a member 96 oscillably mounted in the sub-assembly and provided with a socket 97 adapted to receive a key or to receive a bar similar to the bar of Fig. l. The lever 95 is 4formed with oppositely and equally extending toes 98 and 99. When the sub-assembly is mounted in the position of Fig. 9, the lever toe 98 is engageable with the post 58 of the retractor slide leg 35 so that, as the lever 95 is oscill-ated in a counterclockwise direction, the toe 98 will act upon the post 58 to retract the slide against the tendency of the springs 41 and 42. When, however, the casing is turned end-to-end and the sub-assembly is turned through 90 about a vertical axis, the lever toe 99 will be positioned for coaction with the post 59 of the retractor slide leg 36, so that clockwise movement of the lever will retract the slide.

I claim as` my invention:

l. A panic latch mechanism comprising a casing having an open face, said casing being adapted for attachment to a door with its open face contiguous to the door, a latch bolt mounted in said casing and projectible therefrom` through an opening in a side wall of said casing, a latch retractor received in said casing and guided for transverse movement therein, said retractor having an operative connection with said bolt, spring means resiliently urging said retractor toward bolt-projected position, a lever mounted in said casing for oscillation about a fixed axis, said lever being formed to provide a toe arranged for retracting coaction with said retractor, and to provide a second toe, a panic bar supported adjacent said casing to swing about a fixed axis and having a finger projecting into said casing and into cooperative association with said second toe, said lever being so proportioned and arranged that, as said finger moves from one limit of its path to the other limit thereof, said second toe will be swung through an arc bisected by a radius of said lever axis perpendicular to the path of said finger, and means movable independently, with respect to said panic bar, for shifting said retractor against the influence of said spring means.

2. A panic latch mechanism comprising a casing symmetrical with respect to its transverse median plane and having an open face, said casing being adapted for attachment to a door with its open face contiguous to the door, a latch bolt mounted in said casing and projectible therefrom through an opening in a side Wall of said casing, a latch retractor received in said casing and guided for transverse movement therein, said retractor having an operative connection With said bolt, spring means resiliently urging said retractor toward bolt-projected position, said latch retractor being symmetrical with respect to a median plane which, when said retractor is mounted in said casing, coincides with said transverse plane, a lever mounted in said casing for oscillation about a fixed axis lying in said plane, said lever being formed with oppositely and equally projecting toes symmetrical with said plane when in rest position, said casing being formed with a longitudinal opening in its wall opposite said open face, symmetrically traversing said plane, a panic bar supported adjacent said casing to swing about a xed axis lying in said plane, said bar having a finger projecting through said longitudinal opening into said casing and into cooperative engagement with one of said toes, the other of said toes being arranged in retracting coaction with said retractor, an actuator slide mounted in said casing for longitudinal reciprocation to traverse said plane and for coactive engagement with said one toe, and a thumb piece mounted outside -said casing for oscillation about a fixed, transversely-extending axis, and having a nger projecting into said casing and into coactive association with said slide to actuate said retractor independently of said panic bar.

3. The mechanism of claim 2 in which said slide is carried and guided on a plate removably and reversibly mounted in said casing adjacent the open face thereof.

4. The mechanism of claim 2 in which the fixed 'axis for said panic bar is provided by journal means carried on the outside of said casing Wall opposite said open face, said journal means being equidistant from the opposite ends and equidistant from the side walls of said casing, and the finger of said panic bar being selectively projectible through said longitudinal opening into coactive association with either of said toes.

5. The mechanism of claim 4 in which said slide is carried and guided on a plate removably and reversibly mounted in said casing adjacent the open face thereof.

6. The mechanism of claim 2 including a blocker element mounted in said casing for movement into and out of the path of movement of said slide, and means operable from outside said casing for so moving said blocker element.

7. The mechanism of claim 2 including a blocker lever mounted in said casing for oscillation about an axis lying in said plane, said lever having an arm projecting in one direction from said plane and movable into and out of the path of movement of said slide and having another arm projecting in the opposite direction from said plane, and means operable from outside said casing and projecting into cooperative relation with said last-named lever arm for actuating said arm.

8. The mechanism of claim 7 in which. the xed axis for said panic bar is provided by journal means carried on the outside of `said casing Wall opposite said open face, said journal means being equidistant from the opposite ends and equidistant from the side walls of said casing, and the finger of said panic bar being selectively projectible through said longitudinal opening into coactive association with either of said toes, and a plate removably and reversibly mounted in said casing adjacent the open face thereof, said slide, said lever and the fulcrum means for said lever being supported on said plate.

9. A panic latch mechanism comprising a casing symmetrical with respect to itstransverse median plane and having an open face, said casing being adapted for attachment to a door with its open face contiguous to the door, a latch bolt mounted in said casing and projectible therefrom through an opening in a side wall of said casing, a latch retractor received in said casing and guided for transverse movement therein, said retractor having an operative connection with said bolt, spring means resiliently urging said retractor toward bolt-projected position, said latch retractor being symmetrical with respect to a median plane which, when said retractor is mounted in said casing, coincides with said transverse plane, a lever mounted in said casing for oscillation about a xed axis lying in said plane, said lever being formed with oppositely and equally projecting toes symmetrical with said plane when in rest position, said casing being formed with a longitudinal opening in its wall opposite said open face, symmetrically traversing said plane, and a panic bar supported adjacent said casing to swing about a fixed axis lying in said plane, said bar hving a finger projecting through said longitudinal opening into said casing and into cooperative engagement with one of said toes, the other of said toes being arranged in retracting coaction with said retractor, trunnion means mounted in-said casing on an axis parallel with said lever axis but offset from said plane, a second lever mounted for oscillation about said trunnion axis and having an arm cooperatively engageable with said retractor, and means manipulable from outside said casing to swing said second lever to retract said retractor independently of said panic bar.

l0. The mechanism of claim 9 including a plate removably and reversibly mounted in said casing adjacent the openface thereof, said trunnion means being supported solely from said plate.

l1. A latch mechanism comprising a casing having a front wall, side walls and end Walls, one of said side Walls being formed with an opening therethrough, the inner surface of said front wall being formed with an indentation therein paralleling the adjacent end of said opening, a journal pin seated in said indentation, screw means threadedly seated in said front wall adjacent said indentation and provided with terminal flange means overlying said pin to retain the same against dislodgement from said indentation, a latch bolt pivotally mounted at one end on said pin and projectible and retractable through said opening, said latch bolt being formed to provide, in its surface facing the interior of said casing, a cavity extending toward its end remote from said pin,

a bar traversing said cavity at a point spaced from said pin., and a latch .retractor received in said casing adjacent said opening and supported for movement transversely of said casing toward and away from said opening, said retractor having a nose enterable in said cavity, and said nose being formed with a transverse groove receiving said bar to provide an operative connection between said retractor and said latch bolt.

12. A latch mechanism comprising a casing having a front wall, side walls and end walls, one of said side walls being formed with an opening therethrough, a latch bolt mounted in said casing and projectible and retractable through said opening, a latch retractor received in said casing and having an operative connection with said latch bolt, said retractor comprising a pair of parallel pins each having abutment means at one end, a slide mounted on said pins for reciprocation relative thereto but restrained against axial separation therefrom, spring means for each pin conned between said slide and the abutment means of its pin, said ends of said pins bearing against the other side wall of said casing, and means manipulable from outside said casing for shifting said slide, against the tendency of said spring means, toward said other casing side wall.

13. Actuator means for a latch mechanism which includes a casing symmetrical about a transverse median plane, a projectible and retractable latch bolt supported in said casing and symmetrical about said plane, a latch retractor shiftably mounted in said casing and symmetrical about said plane, and a shifter element for said retractor oscillably mounted on an axis disposed in said plane and movable equally and oppositely relative to said plane to shift said retractor in one direction, said actuator means comprising an assembly including a pair of identical plates secured together in parallel, spaced relation, and a slide reciprocably received and guided between said plates, said 'assembly being reversibly mountable in said casing to position saidslide yin coactive relation to said shifter element.

14. The device of claim 13 including a blocker element received and guided between said plates for movement into and out `of blocking association with said slide.

1.5` Actuator means for a latch mechanism which includes a casing lsymmetrical about a transverse median plane, a projectible and retractable latch bolt supported in said casing and symmetrical about said plane, a latch retractor shiftably mounted in said casing and symmetrical about said plane, and a shifter element for said retractor oscillably mounted on an axis disposed in said plane and movable equally and oppositely relative to said plane to shift said retractor in one direction, said actuator means comprising an assembly including a pair of identical plates secured together in parallel, spaced relation, and a lever received and supported between said plates, pivot means for said lever carried by vsaid plates, said lever being symmetrical on opposite sides of a radius of said pivot means, said assembly lbeing reversibly mountable in said casing to position said lever in coactive relation to said retractor.

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